The philosophy of the Fine Arts Department centers on the concept that observational skills are the cornerstone of all visual art disciplines.

Cognition and processing of information are in fact key skills in any discipline, whether in the humanities or in the sciences. Studio classes are small and students from beginners to majors receive individual instruction. Every student is encouraged to develop the technical and analytical skills necessary to create artwork. The Fine Arts Department program is specifically geared towards enhancing visual perception. Such finely tuned skills can be of professional and personal benefit to any person.